New Life for an Old Park, Cutillo Park, North End, Boston

New Life for an Old Park Cutillo Park, North End, Boston

New Life for an Old Park Cutillo Park, North End, Boston Cutillo Park, located off Stillman Street between Salem Street and Endicott Street in Boston’s North End, is now just a little over 100 years old. The adjacent Morton Street, a public way which runs between Salem Street and Endicott Street (formerly Pond Street), has retained its current layout for nearly 200 years. The Park and Morton Street are today run down and covered in trash; their appearance does not give one a sense of their historic importance.

The North End was originally, in the 1600s and 1700s, one of the first settled areas of Boston and was occupied by rich merchants and political leaders. In the early 1800’s, the area that now includes Cutillo Park and Morton Street was part of Mill Pond. Land was gradually created in that area to meet the needs of the burgeoning shipping and mercantile trades. Stillman Street and Cross Street were initially laid out by 1814, and Morton Street was created in 1838. City records indicate that Morton Street was called Ritchie Street between 1840 and 1844, probably for Uriah Ritchie who in 1844 filed a notice of intention to construct buildings in that area. 1 Warehouses and many other buildings were constructed, including nearby Quincy Market in 1827.

By the 1800’s, the North End was no longer occupied by rich merchants but by itinerant workers in the shipping trades and became known for various unseemly activities and as a dirty slum. As such, the area was left to deteriorate while other areas of Boston were made bright, shiny and n ew. Streets deteriorated, infrastructure was not added or improved, and gar bage accumulated. Meanwhile, the North End was also the landing ground for many immigrants to this country. By the late 1880’s and early 1900’s in the North End, with the influx of Irish, Jewish, and then Italian (among others) immigrants, the population had increased to about 30,000 people. Today, in comparison, the North End has a population of about 10,000 people. Streets were narrow, and homes lacked indoor plumbing .

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Alex Goldfeld, The History of the Streets of Boston’s North End

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In the early 1900’s, in order to allow North End residents some light and air, as part of a progressive movement to improve living conditions for residents, the City created a number of small parks by taking parcels of land.

Existing deteriorated slum building were torn down in these pocket parks. Cutillo Park (then the Stillman Street playground) was created by such a taking. In 1917, land on the south side of Stillman Street was taken for park purposes, and the Stillman Street Playground was created on both sides of Morton Street.

On July 4, 1920, Stillman Street Playground was dedicated as Vincent J. Cutillo Park at the proposal of Councilor McLaughlin. Vincent Cutillo was a young North End resident who had lived with his family at 9 Noyes Place and was killed in action in World War I on May 27, 1918, on the first day of the Third Battle of the Aisne near Flirey, Meurthe-et Moselle, Lorraine, France when he was 22 years old. 2 Independence Day celebrations in the North End in 1920 were substantial, and included the dedication of Cutillo Park as well as several other squares, a parade, the presentation of flags to the North End American Legion post, athletic events, music and ice cream . 3 Guests included the then Governor and Mayor.

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Boston Globe, July 18, 1921.

Boston Globe, July 3. 1920 and July 6, 1920

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During the early 1900’s, Cutillo Park served as a neighborhood playground. St. Mary’s School was only a block away from the Park. Boston Globe articles from the 1920s report on interplayground games associated with City parks, including Cutillo Park; such games included baseball, boys’ and girls’ squash ball, beanbag, checkers and sewing work. 4 The Park was enjoyed for a variety of purposes by neighborhood kids, including a ball field, jumping rope, skating when it was flooded, sledding from a mound (“The Hill”) that once existed near Salem Street, and just playing.

In the 1950’s, possibly in connection with the creation of the Central Artery, the portion of Cutillo Park on the south side of Morton Street was sold by the City to third parties, perhaps because road construction compromised the enclosed nature of the playground. A recorded 1953 map shows in outline the portion of Cutillo Park south of Morton Street that was ultimately sold to private owners.

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Boston Globe, August 14, 1928, July 5, 1929.

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Around 1960, a skating rink was constructed at Cutillo Park under a legislative mandate at a cost of approximately $195,000. 5 The trees that had occupied Cutillo Park were cut down, and the park improvements that neighbors enjoyed were removed. Cutillo Park was never to be the same again.

Cutillo Rink was operated by the Metropolitan District Commission. In 1962-1963, Cutillo Rink had only about 7500 paid admissions – much less than other skating rinks in the City and region. By September of 1963, extensive vandalism had occurred and the MDC had to hire private guards to protect Cutillo Rink from further damage. 6 Cutillo Rink closed in 1966 after issues with refrigerant in 1965 resulted in potential health hazards due to escaping ammonia. 7 After the demolition of the rink, the future of Cutillo Park was uncertain.

From the 1968 North End Recreation and Open Space Study prepared by the BRA Planning Department for the Parks & Recreation Department: “Cutillo Skating Rink is located on a small site in a congested part of the neighborhood. This relatively new facility is closed due to a history of vandalism and decreasing use.

Occasionally, the rink is used as an indoor play area by the St. Mary School pupils during recess. The Metropolitan District Commission, operator of the facility, does not plan to reopen the facility.” The 1968 study made the following recommendation for “Cutillo Play Lot”: “The existing skating rink structure should be demolished and the site should be redesigned and reconstructed as an outdoor play lot for young children with sitting areas for mothers. Demolition of the structure and minor site preparation should be the responsibility of the Metropolitan District Commission which owns the facility. After completion, the site should be transferred to the Parks and Recreation Department for furt her development and maintenance responsibilities.”

In the 1960s and 1970s, the North End was a close knit neighborhood and successfully (at least compared to its neighbors) resisted urban renewal (like Government Centre and the Waterfront) and wholescale d emolition (like the West End). But physical conditions in the neighborhood had deteriorated. There were 5

Boston Globe, June 7, 1963.

Boston Globe, September 9, 1963.

7 Boston Globe, January 17, 1968.

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issues with deteriorating and unrepaired buildings, trash on streets, and graffiti. In the late 1960’s, after the demolition of the skating rink, Cut illo Park was a barren expanse of cement with some temporary benches and basketball backboards.

Drainage was poor and the Park smelled so bad when it rained that it could not be used. Neighbors continually petitioned the City for improvements in the Park, including park benches, playground equipment, lighting and trees. By 1970, when Mayor White paid a visit to Cutillo Park, the fight had been going on for several years with no results. 8 Despite promises made by politicians and administrators, no real improvements had occurred by 1972. 9 Continuing into the 1980s, conditions in the North End neighborhood as a whole had not improved from a physical and cleanliness perspective. North End residents organized neighborhood cleanups. A Boston Globe article from 1982 indicates that the trash on Morton Street was several feet deep and had to be literally shoveled up during one neighborhood cleanup effort. 10 Today, a little more than 100 years after its creation, Cutillo Park retains its original layout north of Morton Street. In addition, it retains along two sides the cement colonnades that bordered the playground and can be seen in historic photographs. There are a large number of mature trees in the Park that provide sha de in the summer and allow the Park to be a quiet refuge from the City. Morton Street is still a public way that retains its original layout.

Cutillo Park currently includes a full basketball court as well as a fenced “tot lot” play area with a jungle gym and a separate fenced swing set area , which were added around 2007. There are several park benches along Stillman Street and adjacent to the basketball court. The Park is generally in disrepair. The basketball court does not drain well and the playground surfaces in the tot lot and swing set areas have deteriorated. The trash barrels of Salem Street restaurants line Morton Street with the written approval of the City of Boston’s Publ ic Works Department.

That trash significantly contributes to the rundown condition of Cutillo Park and Morton Street, and to the resulting issues that affect residents.

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Boston Globe, July 30, 1970 Boston Globe, April 28, 1972 10 Boston Globe, April 18, 1982 9

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While Cutillo Park and Morton Street have managed to endure for over 100 years, they are in need of repair and improvement.

This area has great potential to be both an important neighborhood historic site as well as an active park serving North End residents and tourists.

Cutillo Park and Morton Street should be improved in a way that will make this area usable by North End residents, businesses and visitors and reflect the historic importance of this area of the City.

Friends of Cutillo Park was formed in 2018 to work toward this goal. The Friends group is a Massachusetts nonprofit co rporation and a 501(c)(3) organization and recently received a Love Your Block Mini Grant from the City of Boston to help make some improvement to Cutillo Park.

To make a donation to Friends of Cutillo Park or for more information: Friends of Cutillo Park, Inc. 26 Stillman Street, Unit 6-2 Boston, Massachusetts 02113 friendsofcutillopark@gmail.com www.friendsofcutillopark.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/friendsofcutillopark/

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